Korean Job Discussion Forums

[drkalbi]

I'm a male from Canada and have German roots. In the last year or so I've been asked if I was Russian at least 4 or 5 times. I find this very odd. Has this ever happened to you?

[NYC_Gal]

Ask any attractive white female.

[curiousaboutkorea]

I'm a mixed European ancestry American. I've been asked once in the last year if I'm Russian.

[Mariella713]

Ehh, people mistake me for something else here all the time, particularly Spanish though. When I tell them I'm Brazillian a lot of them say "but why do you have green eyes?" ... I guess some people are confused because my eye colour contrasts largely with my dark hair and slightly tan skin.

I've heard of a lot of white women (slim with blonde hair, blue eyes) being asked if they're Russian. It's not an unusual thing to hear - if you spoke with many foreign ladies I'm sure a lot of them would say they've been asked if they were Russian at least once!

[GreenlightmeansGO]

I've been asked at least 3 times if I'm Russian and once if I was Jewish (by a Russian). Don't know why...

[Samanthat87]

I am constantly being asked if I am Russian, it can be really unnerving sometimes as I know exactly what they are mistaking me for from the way they speak to me. I don't like to stereotype but I have just heard there are a few Russian girls working here for that purpose. It is always older men who ask and they usually come uncomfortably close to me and sometimes try speaking Russian to me...I dread to think what they are saying. Some even start talking about Motels, thats when I know for sure what they are mistaking me for. Its not like I dress provocatively....sometimes it has been on my trip to Paris Baguette for a snack during a break from teaching!! A friend of mine actually got followed by one guy for a good twenty minutes, he wouldn't leave her alone and kept muttering "Motel" and "Russian" before she managed to jump on a bus and get away from him.

Men can be such creeps sometimes! (sorry guys!)

[Globutron]

Yeah, I'm always asked if I'm American. No I'm British. But I'm also 1/64th Mongolian, 1/8th Irish, 1/17th Saxon and a little Norwegian on the side. Being mixed makes me objectively much cooler and interesting.

[definitely maybe]

[djsmnc]

I was told I look Canadian! I was also told I look Iranian by some drunk ajosshis, which was just weird.

[Quack Addict]

My father is Welsh and my mother in Hungarian. That makes me Wel-Hung

[PigeonFart]

All the time.

[BringTheRain]

I'm a bigger than average American but people have never guessed that in my years here.

Apparently all big white guys with dark hair must be Russian or Canadian...??? Or French.

[NYC_Gal]

[peppermint]

I get asked if I'm Russian all the time- and not just by adjoshis, but by actual Russians. I've been asked if I were Irish or American a couple of times too.

[air76]

My favorite was when I walked into a pharmacy that I'd never been to before and the pharmacist exclaimed "Oh! Uzbekistan!"....I said "no, mi gook"...."oh, your father Uzbekistan"..."nope, mi gook"....I still can't figure out what looks Uzbek about me....I forgot to mention that the next thing he said to me was just "basketball!"